1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a percussion instrument having sounding members each adapted to generate a musical tone when struck.
2. Description of the Related Art
A keyboard-type tone plate percussion instrument has been known, which includes a plurality of keys, hammer actions respectively corresponding to these keys, and tone plates (sounding members) each adapted to be struck by a corresponding hammer action (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 05-081895). With this percussion instrument, when any of the keys is depressed by a player, a corresponding hammer action strikes a tone plate, whereby the tone plate vibrates to generate a musical tone of a tone pitch proper to the tone plate.
In the keyboard-type tone plate percussion instrument disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 05-081895, there are horizontally disposed strip-shaped tone plates to correspond to respective ones of the keys, and these tone plates have different lengths or widths from one another and are supported for vibration by pins. Such a structure in which tone plates are supported using pins has been known from a long time ago. This structure is capable of sustaining tone plates in vibration to thereby generate musical tones with a satisfactory quality. However, the construction in which tone plates are supported by pins requires the pins which correspond in number to the tone plates, resulting in an increased number of component parts, thus lowering the workability at the time of assembly and maintenance. Therefore, a structure has been demanded, which is excellent in workability at the time of assembly and maintenance and capable of sustaining tone plates in vibration to generate musical tones with a high quality.